Lint collecting apparatus



D. TAYLOR LINT COLLECTING APPARATUS Aug. 24, 1937.

Filed June 5, 1956' 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 24, 1937. TAYLOR 2,090,955

LINT COLLECTING APPARATUS Filed June 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ways.

25025 @WQ-w 0 22 Wu 70/ iif???2% w g??? i g?2 22 Patented Aug. 24, 1937UNITED STATES LINT COLLECTING APPARATUS I Dick Taylor, Paris, Tex.,

Cotton Oil Company, of Texas assignor to S outhland Paris, Tex., acorporation Application June 5, 1936, Serial No. 83,650

12 Claims.

This invention relates to lint-collecting apparatus useful, for-example,in connection with or to form a part of cotton ginning equipment, andconstitutes an improvement upon that disclosed in the patent to DickTaylor No. 2,023,036, dated December 3, 1935.

As pointed out in said patent, it is customary, in the operation oflinter gins, for instance, to provide each gin with its own individualcon- 0 denser, an arrangement which from some standpoints is quiteadvantageous,in particular since it permits accurate relative adjustmentof the various mechanical parts of the individual gin and a propercorresponding adjustment of the volume of air flowing through the ginsuch that the clean fiber may be separated efiectively from the motes,trash, etc. On the other hand, as such individual condensers commonlydeliver large quantities of fine dust into the workroom, they are highlyundesirable from the standpoint of the health of the workers andintroduce a serious fire hazard. While it has been proposed to eliminatethese disadvantages by connecting all of the gins of a battery to asingle large condenser arranged to deliver the dust-laden air outside ofthe workroom, such an arrangement also has disadvantages, for example,the large and expensive fiues required to carry all of the air deliveredby the several gins to the main con denser; the high cost for power; andthe inability to regulate each individual gin for most effectiveresults. 4

In accordance with the invention of the aforesaid Taylor patent, certainadvantages of both of the earlier systems are obtained, in particularthe delivery of the useful fiber from all of the gins of a battery to amain lint separator which effectively separates substantially all of theuseful fiber from the air current but without excessive consumption ofpower or the necessity for unduly large and expensive flues. However, inthe arrangement disclosed in the aforesaid patent the dust-laden airfrom individual gins is delivered into the workroom and each gin isprovided with a power-driven condenser cylinder which, to some extent,obstructs the free flow of air through the gin and which, withitsindividual stripper roll, requires, in the aggregate, for an entirebattery of gins, a considerable expenditure of power.

In accordance with the present invention each individual gin is providedwith a novel form of dust separator which has no power driven nornormally moving parts, but which effectively removes dust and fineparticles, and which further 55 provides for an additional moting actionfor freeing the useful fiber from leaf particles, trash, etc-eachindividual separator delivering the dust-laden air generated by thedofier brush of the corresponding linter into the open air outside ofthe workroom and delivering the useful fiber into a relatively small aircurrent just sufiicient to support and convey the lint on its way to amain condenser. The workroom is thus freed from dust, no power isconsumed in driving individual condenser parts, thefiow of air through10 the linter is substantially unobstructed, the fiber is additionallycleaned, the individual gin may be inspected and regulated withoutinterference with the operation of others, and little floor space isrequired since the separators of the pres- 5 ent invention require lessfloor area than the usual individual condenser, and the fiues leadingfrom these separators to the main condenser may be relatively small- Inthe accompanying drawings wherein one desirable embodiment of theinvention is illustrated by way of example,

Fig. l is a diagrammatic plan view, with certain parts broken away,showing how the invention may be applied to a battery of linter gins;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, diagrammaticallyillustrating a linter gin with my improved dust separator associatedtherewith; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, to larger scale, showing the dustseparator in detail.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to Fig. 1, two series oflinter gins'are illustrated as arranged in a battery delivering fiber toa common condenser. The gins of one series are indicated at l, I, I,etc. and those of the other series at 2, 2 2', etc. Each gin of eachseries is provided with a dust separator 3, such as hereinafter morefully described, the lint from the separators associated with the ginsI, l l etc., being delivered to a lint-conveying trunk 4, while the lintfrom the separators associated with the gins 2, 2 2

etc., is delivered to a lint-conveying trunk 5. These trunks 4 and 5 inturn deliver to a trunk 6 leading to a fan 1 driven by a suitable motor8. The lint-laden air is delivered by the fan to aseparator 9 of anysuitable type, for instance; a screen condenser, cyclone separator orother lint collector which separates the useful lint from the air anddelivers the lint, either in the form of a 50 lap roll, or onto aconveyor ID, as desired. If the lint separator 9 be of the screencondenser type the air from such separator preferably is delivered to a.cyclone dust separator l I of any appropriate type in which the heavierparticles, including some very short lint, drop to the bottom, while thedust-laden air escapes from the top and is discharged outside of theginning room. The heavier particles, including the very short lint, maybe carrried by the conveyor duct l2, if desired, to a dust separator |3where the very fine particles of dust, for example hull-pepper, areseparated from the short fiber and the latter is then conveyed by theconductor pipe |4 back into the lint-conducting trunk 5 and thence tothe fan and lint separator or collector.

The several gins of the battery may, for example, be supported upon thefloor l5 of the ginning room, such room having a roof or ceiling l6 andpreferably being high enough to accommodate the dust separators 3,although it is contemplated that these separators may be placed abovethe ceiling or roof l6 if comprises a casing enclosing a saw cylinder Hwhich cooperates with a grate-fall |6,-the casing also defining the rollbox l9 and enclosing the doifer brush 20. This dofier brush is driven athigh speed and is adapted to strip off the fiber from the teeth of thesaw cylinder, delivering the fiber into the moting space 2| in the lowerpart of the gin casing. In this space heavy particles, including leafand trash, are separated out by gravitation, while the useful fiberremains in suspension in the air current generated by the dofier brush.In accordance with the present invention the casing is provided with apair of deflector plates 22 and 23, respectively, which partiallyencircle the dofier brush and which define the entrance 24 to a lintflue 25 extending from the gin to the corresponding dust separator 3.

Referring to Fig. 3, the improved dust separator of the presentinvention comprises a casing, pref erably including a substantiallycylindrical upper part 26, an intermediate, downwardly convergent,truncated conical portion 21, and a vertically elongate lower portion28, which is preferabb! of substantially cylindrical section and whichincludes a. telescopically adjustable lower portion 29 having a bottom36 which is perforated or formed as a grid so as to permit the escape ofsmall solid particles'which may settle to the lower end of the part 29.By adjustment of the part 29 relatively to the fixed part 26, the lengthof the chamber 3| in the lower part of the casing may be varied, thischamber constituting a secondary moting space.

The top of the dust separator casing is closed by a member 32 having acentral opening, from the edge of which depends a cylindrical bafilemember 33 open at top and bottom. The baflie member extends down to thepoint 34, substantially in the horizontal plane of the lower end of thecylindrical portion of the casing. This cylindrical baflle member 33 iscontinued upwardly above the top plate 32 of the casing as a relativelyshort annular flange 35. A cylindrical thimble or gate-member 36 isarranged to telescope within the upstanding flange member 35, suchthimble or gate-member being furnished with an outwardly flaringmarginal portion 31 at its upper end. This gate-member 36 is housedwithin a hood 38 mounted upon the top 32 of the casing and. comprising alower substantially cylindrical portion 39 (concentric with but ofgreater diameter than the upstanding flange and an upper upwardlyconvergent truncated conical portion 46 whose upper end is joined to thelower end of a dustflue 4|. This dust flue 4| extends up through theceiling or roof l6 of the ginning room. If. desired, each individualdust flue 4| may extend directlyto the open desired. Each gin I, etc.

air or, if preferred, the several dust flues 4| may be connected to acommon trunk flue 42 (Fig. 1) extending along the series of gins andeventually leading to the outer atmosphere so that the dust which passesout through the fines 4| will be car- 5 ried away from the. ginningroom.

Within the conical portion of the hood there is arranged a deflector orvalve-member 43 preferably comprising two conical members 44 and 45joined at their bases, the lower conical member 45 10 being disposedwith its point downward within the upper part of the gate-member 36.This lower conical member 45 is secured to the upper end of a supportingand adjusting rod 46 which passes downwardly from top to bottom of theseparator 15 casing and out through the member 30,-being furnishedat.its lower end with an actuating element, for example a crossbar 41(Fig. 2), by means of which the rod 46 and the deflector-valve 43 may bevertically adjusted.

The rod 46 slides, with sufficient friction to hold it in adjustedposition, within a sleeve 48, the upper end of which is furnished witharms 49 whose outer ends are secured to the gatemember 36 and which,with the sleeve 48, furnish 25 a support for the gate 36. This sleeve48, like the rod 46, extends down through the casing and through thebottom member 30 and is furnished at its lower end with an actuatingmember, for example a disk 50 (Fig. 2), by means of which 3. the sleevemay be moved vertically for adjusting the gate 36.

The sleeve 48 in turn is arranged to slide, with suflicient friction tohold it in adjusted position, within an outer sleeve 5|, having bearings52 and 53 in spiders carried by the top member. 32 and by thecylindrical member 26, respectively, of the casing. This outer sleeve 5|forms a support for a guard or regulator 5| preferably of truncatedconical form, convergent upwardly and 40 which is disposed within theconical portion 21 of the casing and suitably spaced from the lower end34 of the baiile 33. The sleeve 5| also extends down through the bottom36 of the casing and is furnished with a suitable actuating elementsuch, 45 for example, as a disk 54 or the like, the sleeve 5| movingwith suflicient friction in the bearings 52 and 53 to maintain it inadjusted position.

The annular space 55 between the gate-member 36 and the cylindrical part39 of the hood 50 constitutes a collecting chamber for short particles Sof lint which have been carried upwardly through the cylindrical baffie33 with the outgoing current of air. From the annular lintcollectingchamber 55 a trunk 56 extends down- 55 wardly along the outside of thecasing to the point 51 where it enters the lint conductor conveyor tube58, the latter leading from the chamber 3| at a point substantiallyabove the bottom a of the latter. In one desirable arrangement, the 60delivery end of the lint trunk 56 is provided with a controlling valve59 mounted, for example, on a shaft 66 projecting outside of thelint-conveying duct and having a lever 6| by means of which the shaftmay be turned and the valve adjusted. Any appropriate means may beprovided for holding the valve in adjusted position. Alternatively, inplace of the valve 59 or in addition thereto, as desired, there isprovided a conical 7' nozzle 62 at the entrance to the lint conduit 58where the latter emerges from the chamber 3|. Thelint conduits 58 fromthe several separators of the two series extend to the trunks 4 and 5,respectively, which. as above noted. carry the lint to the fan 1 andthence to the condenser device 9.

In the operation of the device, the lint-laden current of air created bythedofler brush 20 of a given gin passes up through the flue 25 andenters the upper part 26 of the corresponding dust collector in atangential direction. The air is thus caused to take up a cyclonicmotion within the casing of the dust collector, such motion tending tocause the lint and other solid particles sustained in the air current tomove toward the axis of the dust collector casing, the heavier particlestending to settle toward the bottom. Thus, as indicated in Fig. 3, asthe air current circulates, entering near the top of the casing, andfirst sweeping downwardly as ,it circles and then rising toward thecenter to escape upwardly through the battle 33, the longer and heavierparticles L of lint graduallymove toward the axis of the casing and sinktoward the bottom of the casing while the air, partially freed from suchsolid particles, escapes up around the edge of the regulator 5| 8 andthence up into the lower end of the cylindrical baflie 33. By adjustmentof the height of the regulator 5|, it ispossible to assure an almostcomplete separation of the longer lint from the air before the latterenters the lower end of the baflie 33. The longer and heavier lint Lsettles down into the cylindrical lower portion 28 of the casing, and asa portion of the air also passes down through this part of the casing,this longer and heavier lint is swept out through the nozzle 62 into theconduit 58. However, just at the entrance to the nozzle 62, the air,laden with r lint, is caused to make a sharp change in direction, thuscausing it to eddy, thereby facilitating the separation of such heavierparticles as leaf trash, which sink down into the chamber 3| and theneither drop out through the grid 30 or may be removed from time to timeby separating the part 29 from the part 2801' the casing.

The air which moves upwardly about the lower edge of the regulator 5Hcarries with it much fine dust and also some short and light particles Sof lint. The volume of the air which passes up through the baflie 33ordinarily is much greater than that which passes downwardly and outthrough the nozzle 62. This upwardly moving current of air strikesthe-lower surface of the deflector valve 43 and is diverted outwardlyand over the edge of the outwardlyfiaring margin 31 of the gate 36. Thesudden change in direction at this point causes eddies in the movingair, thus causing the separation of the particles S of lint from therelatively finer and lighter dust particles D. The separation at thispoint is dependent upon the relative positioning of the parts 43 and 36with respect to each other and with respect to the upwardly convergentportion 40 of the hood, the necessary adjustments being accomplished bymeans of the actuating members and 54, respectively. 'When these partshave once been adjusted to the proper position, it is not necessary tochange their adjustment toany extent during the operation oftheapparatus, except by reason of some substantial change in thecharacter of the fiber being operated upon or .a change in the operatingspeed of the gin or the like.

The main body of the upwardly moving air current passes up through thedust flue 4| with its entrained dust particles D and is discharged,preferably outside of the building, at least not within the ginning roomHowever, some of the air passes down into the settling chamber andthence out through the lint trunk 56, sweeping which shall pass upthrough the lint 56 from the chamber 55.

nozzles 62 with it the lint s which collects in the chamber 55 andcarrying-it down to the point 51 where it is delivered into the lintduct 58. By proper setting of valve 59, the relative proportion of airflue 4| and which shall pass down through the trunk 56 may bedetermined, and such regulation in turn determines the completeness withwhich the short fiber S is separated from the dust-laden air current.

Instead of using a regulator such as the valve 59, the conical nozzle 62may be employed, such nozzle determining the amount of air which canescape directly from the lower part of the main easing into the lintduct 58 and thus indirectly determining the amount of air which will bedrawn down by induction through the lint trunk For regulating the it isproposed to provide of different capacities which may be interchangedonefor the other in accordance with varying conditions: However, whileeither the valve 59 or. the nozzle 62 may be employed alternatively,

amount in this way,

one to the other as here illustrated.

' By means of the apparatus above described, it is possible to obtain avery completeseparation of the. lint from the air without resort to theemployment of power driven parts, such as condenser screens or the like,and to deliver substantially all of the dust outside of the ginningroom. Furthermore, the greater proportion of the air delivered by theindividual gin is' thus removed directly from the ginning room throughthe large but relatively short fiues 4| which need not take up anysubstantial part of the working space within the ginning room, while theuseful fiber is conveyed to the lint separator or collector through thesmall diameter ducts 4 and 5, by relatively small air currents justsufiicient to maintain the lint in suspension.

In this way the air of the ginning room is freedfrom dust; the powerconsumed in the operation of separating the lint from the air isreduced; the gin structure is simplified by the elimination ofindividual power-driven conit is sometimes desirable to employ both inthe same combination as adjunctive denser devices and thus the floorspace occupied by each individual g'in is decreased; the useful fiber isall conveyed to one point of discharge so that it .is not necessary todoif a lap roll from each individual gin at frequent intervals, as isordinarily necessary; the resultant lap from the common lint separatoror collector is of more uniform character than can be expected whenindividual laps are formed at each gin; and by the arrangement hereindescribed and claimed, a more complete separation of the lint from theair is effected than by usual means;

I claim:

1. In combination with a plurality of gin mechanisms each includingmeans operative to deliver a large volume of air with dust and lintsuspended therein, a dust separator associated with each individual ginmechanism, adust conveying duct of relatively large, size leading fromeach individual dust separator, a lint duct of relatively small sizeleading from each individual dust separator, a lint separating devicecommon to the several individual dust separators to which the lint ductsfrom all of the gin mechanisms lead, each of the individual dustseparators comprising means operative to deliver a large proportion ofthe air which enters the separator together with the major part of thedust into the dust duct while directing a small volume of air with themajor part of the useful lint suspended therein into the correspondinglint duct,and means for maintaining lint-carrying air currents in theseveral lint ducts of sufficient velocity to keep the lint in suspensionon its way to the lint separating device.

2. The combination with a battery of linter gins each devised to delivera substantial volume of air with lint and dust suspended therein, anindividual dust separator associated with each individual gin operativeto receive the lint-laden air from its gin, each such individual dustseparator having a dust outlet and a lint outlet and comprising meansoperative to discharge the greater part of the entering air togetherwith suspended dust through the dust outlet while discharging arelatively small volume of air with the useful lint suspended thereinthrough the lint outlet, a lint separator common to the several gins,lint ducts leading from the lint outlets of the several individual dustseparators to the lint separator, and a power driven fan for maintainingsuch a velocity of air flow through the several lint ducts as to carrythe lint from the several lint outlets in suspension to the lintseparator.

3. In combination with a plurality of gin mechanisms arranged within anenclosure and a condenser common to the several gin mechanisms, a dustseparator associated with each gin mechanism, each dust separatorcomprising parts operative to separate the dust and the greater part ofthe air delivered by the respective gin mechanisms from the useful lintwhile keeping the lint constantly in air suspension and delivering it insuspension with a relatively small volume of air, means operative toconvey to each dust separator substantially the entire volume oflintladen air delivered from its respective gin mechanism, a dustconduit leading from each dust separator to a point outside of theenclosure, and a line conveying duct leading from each dust separator tothe condenser.

4. In combination with a plurality of gin mechanisms arranged within anenclosure and a condenser common to the several gin mechanisms, a dustseparator associated with each gin mechanism, a flue for conducting thelint-laden air from each gin mechanism to the correspond* ing separator,each separator being operative to segregate the useful lint from dustwhile keeping both dust and lint in air suspension, a dust duct leadingfrom each separator to a point outside of the enclosure, a lint ductextending from each separator to the condenser, each separatorcomprising parts operative to discharge the larger portion of the airwhich enters it together.

with the suspended dust through the dust duct and to discharge theuseful lint suspended in a relatively small volume of air through thelint duct, and means for varying the relative proportions of air whichdischarge through the dust and lint ducts, respectively.

5. In combination with a plurality of gin mechanisms arranged within anenclosure and a. condenser common to the several gin mechanisms, a dustseparator associated with each gin mechanism, a flue for conducting thelint-laden air from each gin mechanism to the corresponding separator,each separator being operative to segregate the useful lint from dustwhile keepingboth dust and lint in air suspension, a dust duct leadingfrom each separator to a point outside of the enclosure, a lint ductextending from each separator to the condenser, each separator beingconstructed and arranged to. discharge the larger portion of the airwhich-enters it together with the suspended dust through the dust ductand to discharge the useful lint suspended in a relatively small volumeof air through the lint duct, and mote collecting means adjacent to thereceiving end of each lint duct.

6. In combination with a plurality of gin mechanisms each having a sawcylinder and a rotary doffer brush, means providing an enclosure for theseveral gin mechanisms, a condenser common to the several ginmechanisms, an individual separator associated with each gin mechanism,means for leading the lint-laden air current created by the doffer brushof each gin mechanism to the corresponding separator, each of saidseparators being so constructed andarranged as to separate the dust andthe greater part of the air which it receives from its respective ginmechanism from useful lint while keeping the latter in suspension anddelivering it in suspension in a relatively small volume of air, eachseparator comprising a moting device and secondary means for segregatingfine lint from dust, a dust duct leading from each separator to a pointoutside of the enclosure, a lint duct leading from eachseparator to thecondenser, and means for regulating the volume of air discharged throughthe dust duct of each separator.

7. A centrifugal dust separator for use in a ginning system including acondenser, a battery of linter gins arranged within an enclosure, eachgin having a saw cylinder and a doffer brush which creates a lintcarrying air current, a dust duct corresponding to each gin leading to apoint outside of the enclosure, a lint duct corresponding to each ginleading to the condenser and wherein such an individual centrifugal dustseparator is arranged to receive substantially all of the air currentcreated by the doffer brush of each gin, said centrifugal separatorcomprising a casing having a substantially cylindrical upper portion, anintermediate downwardly convergent, truncated conical portion, and anelongate lower portion of variable length and of substantially uniformhorizontal section, said lower portion constituting a motingchamber,-the lint delivery duct leading from the side of said elongatelower portion of the casing.

' 8. A centrifugal dust separator for use in a ginning system includinga condenser, a battery of linter gins arranged within an enclosure, eachgin having a saw cylinder and a doifer brush,

which creates a lint carrying air current, a dust duct corresponding toeach gin leading to a point outside of the enclosure, a lint ductcorresponding to each gin leading to the condenser and wherein such anindividual centrifugal dust separator is arranged to receivesubstantially all of the air current created by the doffer brush of eachgin, said centrifugal separator comprising a casing having asubstantially cylindrical elongate lower portion constituting a motingchamber, said lower portion including a stationary part and amovablepart telescopically adjustable with respect to the stationary partwhereby the vertical height of the moting chamber may be varied, saidtelescopically adjustable part having a perforate bottom,--the lint ductleading laterally from said stationary part.

9. A centrifugal dust separator for use in a ginning system including acondenser, a battery of linter gins arranged within an enclosure, eachgin having a saw cylinder and a doffer brush which creates a lintcarrying air current, a dusi above the bottom of the latter, a hood atthe upper end ofthe separator casing, including parts defining anannular settling chamber for fine lint, a lint trunk leading from saidannular chamber to the aforesaid lint duct, and means operative toregulate the relative amounts of air delivered to said lint duct fromthe moting chamber and from the annular lint settling chamber,respectively.

10. A centrifugal dust separator for use in a Y ginning system includinga condenser, a battery of linter gins arranged within an enclosure, eachgin having a saw cylinder and a (letter brush which creates a lintcarrying air current, a dust duct corresponding to each gin leading to apoint outside of the enclosure, a lint duct corresponding to each ginleading to the condenser and wherein such an individual centrifugalseparator is arranged to receive substantially all of the air currentcreated by the dofier brush of each gin, said centrifugal separatorcomprising a casing having a vertically elongate lower portionconstituting a moting chamber, means providing for the removal of motestherefrom, -the lint duct leading from the moting chamber, a hood at theupper part of the separator casing including parts defining an annularsettling chamber for fine lint, a lint trunk leading from said annular 4chamber to the lint duct, and manually adjustable valve means arrangedadjacent to the junction of the lint trunk and lint duct, said valvemeans being operative to predetermine the amount of air delivered to thelint delivery duct from the annu- 45 lar lint settling chamber ascompared with that delivered to the lint duct from the moting chamber.

11. A centrifugal dust separator for use in a ginning system including acondenser, a battery of linter gins arranged within an enclosure, eachgin having a Saw cylinder and a dofier brush which creates a lintcarrying air current, a dust duct corresponding to each gin leading to apoint outside of the enclosure, a lint duct corresponding to each ginleading to the condenser and wherein such an individual centrifugalseparator is arranged to receive substantially all of the air currentcreated by the dolfer brush of each gin, said centrifugal separatorcomprising a casing including an upper substantially cylindrical partand a downwardly convergent truncated conical portion, a, substantiallycylindrical open-ended baflie sleeve concentric with the cylindricalupper portion, a hood projecting from thetop of the casing, said hoodbeing coaxial with said bafiie, means within the hood defining anannular collecting chamber for short and fine lint particles, motingmeans at the lower'part of the casing, lint ducts leadingfrom saidannular collecting chamber and from the moting means, respectively, andmeans for determining the relative amounts'of air which pass through therespective ducts.

12. Apparatus 'for collecting useful lint from a battery of ginmechanisms each so devised as to deliver a lint carrying air current,said apparatus comprising a dust separator associated with eachindividual gin mechanism and constructed and arranged to divide the airreceived from the gin mechanism into two streams, while keeping the lintand accompanying dust in air suspension, one of said'streams containingthe major-part of the dust while the other stream contains themajor partof the lint in suspension, means providing a duct for conducting eachdust-laden air stream to a point of discharge remote from thecorresponding gin mechanism, means pro 'viding ducts for leading thelint-laden air streams to a common point at which they merge, means forimparting sumcient velocity'to the several lintladen air streams to keepthe lint in suspension therein, and means for separating the lint fromthe air after merger of the lint carrying air streams.

DICK TAYLOR.

